MINNESOTA 4-H
CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY
JANUARY 2015
In This Issue:
New 4-H PC/Federation/Advisory Board Meeting ............................. 2
Market Beef ID Information ................................................................. 3
Livestock Eartags ................................................................................ 3
Basketball & Supper/New Member Orientation ............................. 3-4
Livestock Superintendents/Ak-Sar-Ben ............................................ 4
Andrea Ruesch Scholarship ............................................................ 4-5
Camp Counselors/SW MN Animal Science Challenge .................. 5-6
BLU ..................................................................................................... 7-8
State Information ........................................................................... 6-10
Calendar ......................................................................................... 10-11
Contact Us:
University of Minnesota
ExtensionJackson County
607 S Hwy 86
Lakefield, MN 56150
507-662-5293
Anne Wagner
Interim 4-H
Program Coordinator
[email protected]
Melonie Vancura
Support Staff
[email protected]
www.4-H.umn.edu
www.extension.umn.edu/
county/jackson
Dear 4-H families and volunteers,
Happy New Year! As I reflect on the last year, I am thankful for so
many things, and want to share a few thoughts with you.
In November, three members of National 4-H Council's senior
leadership came to spend three days meeting with our staff to
learn about the wonderful work we are doing in Minnesota.
National 4-H Council’s Innovation & Impact Executive Director
Don Mohanlal sent me a thank you note after the visit, expressing
how impressed he was with the work we were doing. In it he said,
“I have seen the future, and it is Minnesota 4-H.” This tells me
that Minnesota 4-H is on the right track.
We continue to work to grow and improve the 4-H program to
ensure that we meet the evolving needs of Minnesota youth, and
support the development of their “Head, Heart, Hands and
Health.”
And none of it would be possible without you. I would like to
thank all of you for your support.
© 2014, Regents of the University of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans
with Disabilities Act, this publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to 612-624-2116.
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
Thank you for trusting us with guiding the
positive youth development of your
children.
Thank you for volunteering, for embracing
the goals we have set that best serve
Minnesota 4-H, and for giving your time
and talents so freely and unselfishly.
I am confident that 2015 will be an exciting
and rewarding year for Minnesota 4-H and
the youth, families and communities that
we serve.
Sincerely,
Dorothy M. Freeman
Associate dean and state 4-H director
Jackson County Welcomes
New Program Coordinator!
We welcome Sarah Jacobs to Jackson
County 4-H as the new Program
Coordinator! Sarah will start on January
12th. Stop by and welcome Sarah to
Jackson County 4-H!
Jackson County 4-H
Federation/Advisory Meetings
The Jackson County 4-H Federation
meeting will be January 26th at the MultiPurpose Building in Lakefield at 7:30 pm.
Please make plans to attend!
Advisory Board will meet at 6:30 pm before
Federation.
PAGE 2
Project Bowl
Project Bowl is just around the corner! It is
that time of year again when project bowl
teams will begin practicing for the Regional
Contests in March. There are opportunities
for teams to form in dairy, dog, general
livestock, horse, poultry, rabbit and
wildlife. Two team contests are held Junior (grades 3-8) and Senior (grades 912+). Check out the 4-H Project Bowl
website
at: http://www.extension.umn.edu/youth/
mn4-H/events/project-bowl/
for rules, resources, and more information
for the 2015 bowls. If you would like to
coach, help coach or participate on any of
these teams, please call us at the Extension
Office 507-662-5293. Regional and
invitational bowl dates and locations are:

March 7, 2015 - Foley

March 14, 2015 - Farmington

March 21, 2015 - Bemidji

March 21, 2015 - Redwood Falls

March 28, 2015 - Snow date (in case of
cancellations)

State is April 11, 2015 - Sauk Rapids-Rice
High School
Teams are beginning to form for livestock
and dog bowl. Please contact the Extension
Office if you would like to be involved with
either of those or form another team in a
different project area ASAP.
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
Market Beef and Dairy Steer
Deadline
All market beef and dairy steers need to be
identified by February 17. In 2015 February
15 is a Sunday and February 16 (Monday) is
President’s holiday, therefore the deadline
is extended to February 17 this year. In
2015, families will have the option of
identifying their Market Beef and/or Dairy
Steer animals online, which means that by
midnight on February 17 all data must be
entered online.
Detailed information will be sent to 4-H
members who are currently enrolled in the
beef project. If you are intending to exhibit
Market Beef or Dairy Steers and have not
yet completed your enrollment in the Beef
project, please visit
http://mn.4honline.com to complete or
update your enrollment, or contact the
Extension Office immediately so that the
beef ID information can be sent to you.
Animal ID—Ear Tags
2015 Ear tags (large and small) will be
available at the Extension office sometime
in January. They will be $1.50 per tag and
must be paid for upon picking up the tags.
Watch your email for availability
information.
Email Address Updates
Please take time to check your email
regularly to get all pertinent information
about upcoming events, volunteer
opportunities and 4-H updates. We utilize
email to continue to use 4-H and Extension
dollars wisely.
PAGE 3
Additionally, if you’ve changed your email
address recently please log in to 4HOnline
at https://mn.4honline.com and update
your family profile/log-in information. This
will ensure that you continue receiving
emails from us.
Basketball and Supper!
On Monday, January 12, the Jackson
County 4-H Ambassadors will be serving
supper from 5:30 p.m. till gone at the high
school in Okabena. The HL-O boys will be
taking on Madelia. Come over to Okabena,
watch a game and support Jackson County
4-H Ambassadors!
Poultry Families
It is time to think about your birds for the
2015 fair season. If you need assistance in
finding a breeder, let the Extension office
know. We have a list of breeders we can
send to you.
Poultry Workshop-Save the
Date
Isanti County Poultry Workshop will be
held January 24th 8:00 am-1:00 pm at the
Armed Forces Reserve and Community
Center in Cambridge, MN. This would be a
good workshop to attend to learn more
about Poultry. More information will be
sent out closer to the date.
New Member Orientation
If you are new to Jackson County 4-H, you
are invited to the New Member Orientation!
“New Member Day” will be Saturday,
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
PAGE 4
February 7, 2015, from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00
noon at the Multipurpose BuildingLakefield. This informal meeting will
introduce you to the world of Jackson
County 4-H with project ideas, games and a
snack. RSVP to the Extension office by
February 6th.
a photocopy of each envelop for your
records. Return completed DNA sample
envelopes to Ext. Office by April 3, 2015,
for Market Beef. Market Lambs, Market
Goats, Market Swine and Feeder Calves
envelopes are due to the Extension Office
by June 1, 2015.
Jackson County 4-H Facebook
Office Closed
Don’t forget to check out Jackson County
4-H Facebook page! “Like” it to see
updates, notifications and pictures
In observance of the New Year, the
Extension Office will be closed Thursday,
January 1st, 2015.
Outstanding Checks
In observance of Martin Luther King Day,
the Extension Office will be closed Monday,
January 19, 2015.
Many checks go uncashed throughout the
4-H year. If you still have uncashed checks,
please cash them ASAP. This will keep our
books up-to-date. Thank you! Melanie
Post-Adult Treasurer
Livestock Superintendents
The Livestock Superintendents will meet
Wednesday, January 28, 2015, at the
Multipurpose Building in Lakefield at 6:30
p.m. All Adult and youth livestock
enthusiasts are encouraged to attend!
Updates on species, ID deadlines, premium
book changes, fair show schedule and
judge selection are on the agenda for the
night.
Ak-Sar-Ben
2015 DNA envelopes are in for Ak-Sar-Ben.
Stop by the Extension Office to pick up
envelopes. They are $5 for each completed
envelope and we ask that you return any
unused envelopes. DNA envelopes must be
filled out completely and legibly and make
2015 Andrea Ruesch 4-H
Scholarship
Applications are now being accepted for
the Andrea Ruesch Scholarship.
The Family of Andrea Ruesch established a
4-H scholarship with the Minnesota 4-H
Foundation in memory of her dedication
and contributions to the Minnesota 4-H
program. The focus of this scholarship is
on demonstrated learning through handson experience and using what you have
learned to help others (youth leadership). A
minimum of four scholarships of $1,000
each will be awarded annually in a nine
county region.
The scholarship application materials are
available on the county Extension website
under 4-H downloads section at
www.extension.umn.edu/county/jackson
or the MN 4-H Foundation at
http://www.extension.umn.edu/youth/give
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
/scholarships-grants-awards/scholarshipruesch/index.html.
TO BE ELIGIBLE for the scholarship you
must:
Be a high school senior or first year college
student currently enrolled in 4-H in one of
the following nine counties: Chippewa,
Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Murray,
Nobles, Pipestone, Rock and Watonwan
(Due to Andrea’s 4-H experiences as a
youth and adult, when all else is equal,
preference will be given to youth from the
following counties: Chippewa, Cottonwood,
Jackson and Nobles).


Be active in 4-H leadership roles
Be continuing your education at a post
secondary institution

Demonstrate passing grades in high
school

Submit a current photo of yourself; it
will not be returned
TO BE CONSIDERED submit the following
information:

Typed application (two pages). You may
add up to one additional page of
supplemental information; no more
than three pages total.

4-H story (one to two typed page(s),
double spaced, 12 point font)


Two typed letters of reference
A copy of your high school transcript or
unofficial college transcript

Photo
The application deadline is Monday, March
2, 2015. The scholarship winners will be
announced April 2015.
Please contact Sharon Leopold at 372-3900
ext 3901,
[email protected] with
questions regarding the scholarship or the
PAGE 5
Think Summer Camps
Summer is disappearing as the leaves are
falling and the temps are doing the same.
But that doesn’t stop us from thinking
about NEXT summer! It is time to begin
planning for SW MN 4-H Camps and time
to think about being a camp counselor at
one or all three camps for third through
eighth graders. If you are ninth grader or
older, love to spend time outdoors and
would love to share the excitement of
summer camps with campers and your
peers, then consider applying to be a
camp counselor. Applications will be
available after December 1 and will be due
January 15. A mandatory training will
take place for all counselors February 15 &
16 (Sunday & Monday, Presidents’ Day); a
planning meeting will be held in Slayton on
April 12 (Sunday); and a final planning
meeting will take place at Shetek Lutheran
Ministries on June 3 (Wednesday). All
counselors must attend all of these
meetings, so check your calendar BEFORE
applying. For more details, contact your
4-H Program Coordinator.
Southwest 4-H Animal Science
Challenge
Saturday, February 14
Wabasso Public School
Wabasso, MN
The 4th annual Southwest 4-H Animal
Science Challenge is a day-long event, held
at the Wabasso Public School. The day
consists of a quiz bowl competition, a skilla-thon contest and project workshops. The
day is open to participants of all ages, with
two divisions: junior (grades 3-8) and
senior (grades 9-13). Three separate
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
competitions will focus on general
livestock, horse, and dairy. Please note
that there will be no LQA&E certification
this year.
The "round robin" quiz bowl portion will
provide a great practice contest for teams
to prepare for the regional competitions in
March. Skill-a-thon stations will be
designed to cover general knowledge of
each specie area and the MN 4-H LQA&E
curriculum.
The event is open to teams of 4-6
participants from across Minnesota.
Individual registrations will also be
accepted and additional multi-county
teams may be formed accordingly.
More information is available from your
county Extension Office. To register go to
http://z.umn.edu/swasc2015. Please
direct questions to Melissa Runck at
[email protected].
National 4-H Council Youth in
Action Award
National 4-H Council is now accepting
applications for the annual Youth in Action
Award to be presented at National 4-H
Council's Legacy Awards in Washington,
D.C. on April 23, 2015. The Youth in
Action Award is one of the highest honors
a 4-H’er can achieve.
The Award recognizes one remarkable 4H’er who exemplifies the life-changing
impact of 4-H—a young person who
demonstrates personal growth, community
impact and project excellence through
their 4-H experience.
PAGE 6
In addition to this great honor, the Youth
in Action Award winner will receive:

Scholarship: A $10,000 scholarship
for higher education.

Public recognition: An all-expenses
paid trip to Washington, D.C. to be
recognized at Council's Legacy
Awards on April 23, 2015.
Promotion in the winner's
hometown media as the national
winner.

Executive references: Official
reference letters from National 4-H
Council executives and corporate
supporters.

A shopping experience: A shopping
experience (valued at $1,000) to
select attire for the Legacy Awards
event.

Spokesperson opportunities:
Opportunities to serve as an official
4-H youth spokesperson through
national media and events.
To qualify, applicants should be a 4-H
member or recent alumni, ages 16-21, that
represent the diversity and passions of 4-H
youth nationwide, demonstrate
outstanding leadership, showcase the
essence of 4-H positivity and possess a
proven ability to engage others. More
detailed guidelines can be found at www.4H.org/YouthInAction.
If you know of an outstanding 4-H member
that fits this criteria, please encourage
them to apply for this distinguished award.
Application deadline is Jan. 12, 2015.
Please visit the Youth in Action Award
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
website for information on the past
winners.
If you have questions, please direct them
to Rachel Mentzer at [email protected].
Helping Hands Grants:
Applications due Feb. 1
Approximately $30,000 will be awarded to
Minnesota 4-H groups through the Helping
Hands Grant program. Average grant
awards are between $200 and $2,000.
Applications are due to the 4-H Foundation
office by Feb. 1, 2015 and can be
downloaded from their website
(z.umn.edu/helping). Questions can be directed
to Erin Kelly-Collins at ([email protected] / 612624-7667).
4-H Celebration of Agriculture
Feb. 21
On Feb. 21, 2015 at the Earle Brown
Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center, the
Minnesota 4-H Foundation will host the
second annual 4-H Celebration of
Agriculture beginning at 5 p.m. Please join
us in celebrating the abundance of food
and fiber produced by Minnesota farmers
and support 4-H’s commitment to engaging
the next generation of leaders in Minnesota
agriculture! For more information, and to
RSVP, please call 612-625-2180 or visit the
event website at http://z.umn.edu/CelebrateAg.
4-H BLU registrations closing
soon!
Registrations for the Building Leadership
and Understanding (BLU) overnight
PAGE 7
leadership retreat are closing soon! This
year's BLU theme: "4-H BLU: Tune Into
You", will focus on self-acceptance and
acceptance of others. Youth in grades 6
through one year past high school are
invited and volunteer chaperones will also
be needed, contact your PC if interested!
Five BLUs will be held this year in the
following locations:

Feb. 7-8, 2015 - Central: Elk River Registrations closed 12/17/14,
contact [email protected] to see if space
is still available!

Feb. 21-22, 2015 - Northwest:
Moorhead - Registrations close
1/12/15

Feb. 21-22, 2015 - Southeast:
Rochester - Registrations close
1/12/15

Feb. 28-March 1, 2015 - Northeast:
Duluth - Registrations close
1/12/15

Feb. 28-March 1, 2015 - Southwest:
Marshall - Registrations close
1/12/15
Additional details are available online at:
http://www.4-H.umn.edu/events/blu/!
Get ready to chaperone at
BLU
4-H’ers will soon be heading off to BLU
leadership training, and adult chaperones
are critical to their experience. The online
training, “Chaperone Policies and
Procedures” covers roles, expectations and
best practices when chaperoning young
people on trips, retreats and events. This
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
training is recommended for adults
chaperoning youth at any 4-H program or
event (e.g. BLU, YELLO, state fair, state and
national trips, interstate exchange trips,
etc.)
The training is part of a series of dynamic,
interactive 30-minute online training
modules to help volunteers build their
skills and knowledge from home. These
trainings are available to all adult screened
volunteers, through mn.4honline.com. Check
out other online volunteer training topics:

Creating a Welcoming, Engaging
and Encouraging Environment for
Youth

The 4-H Learning Environment

4-H Project Leaders: Where the
Action Starts!

Managing 4-H Clubs: A guide for 4H Club Leaders

4-H Financial Management

Ensuring a Safe 4-H Environment
For a preview of each of the trainings, visit:
www.4-H.umn.edu/volunteer/onlinetraining/.
M4-HAVA conference
Registration for the 2015 Minnesota 4-H
Adult Volunteer Association (M4-HAVA)
conference is now available online at
www.extension.umn.edu/youth/mn4H/volunteer/m4-hava/. The theme for this
year's conference is "4-H Ties it Together."
Developed to expand the knowledge and
skills of 4-H volunteers and give leaders
new ideas for 4-H projects, with workshop
topics ranging from beekeeping to quilting
PAGE 8
to gardening and caring for pigeons. The
conference will take place at the Best
Western in Willmar, Minnesota, Feb. 19-21.
Early bird rate for M4-HAVA members is
$124, including all meals for all three
dates, and must be postmarked by Jan. 10.
Regular rate for members is $140
(nonmembers, $175).
2015 SS&W Leader
Certification Trainings
The Minnesota 4-H Shooting Sports &
Wildlife Program Development Committee
invites you to attend a leader certification!
The committee recommends that leaders
attend the entire certification weekend
every five years. Now is your chance to
attend!
The training is designed for adults and
youth (9th grade and older) that lead or
would like to lead training in shooting
sports or wildlife. Classes will be offered in
the disciplines of coordinator, archery,
rifle/pistol, shotgun, muzzleloading, and
wildlife. This training meets the 4-H
project leaders’ requirements for
certification and recertification. Although
there is range time allocated in the
schedule, the majority of the training is
classroom work to become an effective
instructor, not to practice your own
shooting skills.
Two locations this spring!
April 25-26: Crookston and Ahlman's in
Morristown
Registration materials will be posted Feb.
1.
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
2015 National 4-H Conference
Minnesota will once again be represented
by an outstanding group of young people
at the National 4-H Conference April 11-16
in Washington, D.C. This working
conference is designed to increase delegate
knowledge, resources, and skills that will
empower them to make an impact on their
community in a meaningful and genuine
way.
This year’s delegation will consist of Anna
Brekke, Scott County; Ryan Donkers, Rice
County; Hannah Hasbargen, Traverse
County; and Heather Weller, East Ottertail
County. Youth delegates were selected in
December by a panel of University of
Minnesota Extension Center for Youth
Development staff. The competitive
selection process took into consideration
the applicant’s application and
recommendation/ nomination forms. Also
considered was the conference call
interview which included the applicant’s
presentation of a 4-H Youth Development
marketing speech and comments on
identification of a community issue and an
action plan to address the issue.
As part of this experience, delegates will
use their knowledge as they return home
and practice what it means to become an
engaged citizen as they develop and
implement a “Taking it Home” community
action. For further information, please
contact Extension Educator Judith Conway
at [email protected].
Additionally, the Center for Youth
Development’s State Citizenship &
Leadership Program Director Jacquie
Lonning will serve as youth/adult chair for
PAGE 9
the National 4-H Conference for the second
year.
Citizenship Washington Focus
The Minnesota delegation will attend
Citizenship Washington Focus June 20-27,
2015. Full details about CWF and
application procedures can be found at
www.extension.umn.edu/youth/mn4H/events/citizenship-washington-focus/index.html.
Delegates for this event are chosen on a
first-come, first-served basis. Please refer
to the website for full details as well as the
delegate pre- and post-expectations which
includes “CWF: A Call to Action”.
Pre-application materials will be available
on the website Jan. 15. The full
application will be available on the website
beginning Feb. 17. Applications for
volunteer chaperones will also be available
on Feb. 17.
Minnesota 4-H Salute to
Excellence Award winners
Congratulations to Elizabeth Carlson of
Kandiyohi County and Kaylinn Stormo of
South St. Louis County on winning the 2015
Minnesota 4-H Salute to Excellence Awards.
Liz was selected as the Outstanding
Lifetime Volunteer, an award given to
individuals who have spent ten or more
years as a 4-H volunteer.
Kaylinn was selected as the Volunteer of
the Year, an award given to those who have
been a 4-H volunteer for ten years or less.
They will be honored at the state level at
the 2015 M4-HAVA Conference in Willmar.
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
Winners at the state level go on to compete
at the regional and national level. Regional
and national honorees will be announced
in 2015.
Minnesota 4-H State Horse
Winter Roundup
Winter Roundup is an exciting three day,
two night conference Jan. 23 - 25, 2015, in
Spicer, focused on developing youth and
adult leadership in the 4-H horse project.
The conference is packed with speakers
and educational workshops. Topics cover
areas such as developing leadership skills,
horse care and showing, horse project
areas such as western heritage, Horse Bowl,
hippology, speech and demo, applying to
the Dan Patch and Youth Leadership
Awards and much more!
This conference is geared towards and best
appreciated by adults and youth 8th grade
and above. For more information and
registration materials go to
www.extension.umn.edu/youth/mn4H/projects/animal-science/horse/winterroundup/index.html. Registrations are due
by Jan. 9 for the early bird discount.
Calendar
DECEMBER

25 Office Closed-Christmas
PAGE 10

12 National 4-H Council Youth in Action
Award application deadline

15 Camp Counselor Applications Due

19 Office Closed – Martin Luther King Jr.
Day

23-25 Minnesota 4-H State Horse Winter
Roundup

26 Advisory Board, 6:30 pm, Multipurpose Building-Lakefield

26 Federation, 7:30 pm, Multi-purpose
Building-Lakefield

28 Livestock Superintendents Meeting
6:30 p.m. at MPB-Lakefield
FEBRUARY

1 Helping Hands Grants due to the 4-H
Foundation office

7 New Member Orientation @ MultiPurpose Building, Lakefield at 10:30 a.m.12 noon

7-8 Central BLU, Minneapolis, MN

12 HL-O Fundraiser-Rost

14 SW 4-H Animal Science Challenge,
Wabasso

17 Market Beef ID DUE

19-21 M4-HAVA conference, Willmar

21 Minnesota 4-H Foundation's
Celebration of Agriculture

21-22 Northwest BLU, Moorhead, MN
JANUARY

1

10 Regional Horse Meeting, 10 am-noon

21-22 Southeast BLU, Rochester, MN

12 Ambassador Meal-Okabena High
School 5:30 p.m.

28-Mar. 1 Southwest BLU, Marshall, MN
Office Closed-New Year’s Day
MINNESOTA 4-H CLOVER UPDATE
JACKSON COUNTY | JANUARY 2015
507-662-5293 | www.4-H.umn.edu
MARCH

2 Andrea Ruesch 4-H Scholarship
Applications Due

21 Regional Project Bowl, Redwood Falls

28 Regional Project Bowl (snow date)
APRIL

3 Market Beef Ak-Sar-Ben DNA
Envelopes due

6-11 National 4-H Conference

11 State Project Bowl, Sauk Rapids

25-26 SS&W Leader Certification
Trainings: Crookston and Ahlman's in
Morristown
JUNE

1 Ak-Sar-Ben envelopes due, all other
species

18-19 Science of Agriculture Response
Challenge

20-27 Citizenship Washington Focus
PAGE 11